December: Christmas Party

Thanks to everyone on the committee who helped to provide the food for our annual Christmas party and to all those who helped arrange tables, serve and clear up afterwards.
To all those who made a dish....email Ester the recipes to add to our new recipe page (see the tab at the top of the blog).

December: Christmas Challenge

December's challenge was to make a Christmas-themed item. And the winner was...

Joan Colleran with this fantastic wall-hanging! She won a lovely bundle of fabrics donated by Sandlin.

Below are photos of the other entries.

December: Show and Tell

Despite the recent severe weather, we had quite a good turn-out at our December meeting. With lots of items for 'Show and Tell'

This quilt top was made by Sandlin and long-arm machine-quilted in variegated thread by a friend.

This sampler quilt was made by Frances Conroy.

This nursury quilt was made by Rosalie.

Sally's quilt was an unfinished project until recently and she machine-quilted it herself.

This is another quilt by Sally.

Mary finished this Jacob's Ladder quilt which was started last year at the workshop by Linda McMulkin.

Margaret has added 'yo-yos' (also known as Suffolk Puffs) to a Boots gift-bag to make a useful sewing bag.

Margaret also recently completed this Christmas wall-hanging which she had started last year.

Linda shows us the back and...

front of a patchwork bag, which also has useful internal pockets. Perhaps this is a workshop for a future date?

Christmas Party Saturday 11th December

Last year's Christmas Pudding Tea-cosy by Ester Kiely

Despite the weather we've had recently we are expecting a good crowd for our annual Christmas party on Saturday 11th December.

Christmas Challenge: bring along a Christmas themed item you have made for the challenge and vote for your favourite. There's a prize for the viewer's choice.

Fat Quarter Bingo: bring along a fat-quarter to participate. The winner takes home a great stash of fabric!

Party food: A selection of treats for everyone to enjoy as we kick off the Christmas festivities together.

So if you have been suffering from cabin-fever after the cold spell, come along for some festive cheer to the Bridge Centre at 10am on Saturday 11th December. We look forward to seeing you there!

Limerick Quilt Retreat for IPS members in February 2011

We received some info about the upcoming Limerick Quilt Retreat (Feb 2011).

The retreat will be different to the usual 'An Grianan' weekend, as there will be no scheduled teachers or workshops. Instead, this will be a social weekend where you have the entire weekend to work on projects and catch up with IPS friends from around the country. This could also be the perfect opportunitity to finish up your "Branching Out" quilts for the upcoming exhibitions.

The weekend will run for the weekend of Friday 18th February to Sunday 20th February 2011 at the Limerick Strand Hotel, Limerick City.

There is a reduced rate of €169 per person sharing in a twin room for the weekend. This includes 2 nights bed and breakfast and 2 evening meals. Single supplement is €40 for the weekend.

Also included in this price is the use of a large "sewing room" for members which is at the top of the hotel and has wonderful views over the Shannon. This "sewing room" will be set up so that people can use it till late on Friday night, all through Saturday, and on Sunday until 4pm.

Booking is via the reservations number 061-421890 for Irish Patchwork Society members. Note: People will have to make the bookings with the hotel themselves!

The Limerick Strand Hotel, Ennis Road, Limerick is centrally located in the city, so it should be easy to get to for most people. There is an on-site underground car-park with 200 spaces (€5 per 24 hours).
The hotel also has a heated 20m swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna, gym room etc. so there is plenty of amenities on-site. See http://www.strandhotellimerick.ie/ for further details.

Information about this Retreat is also up on the IPS blog www.irishpatchwork.blogspot.com and details will also be included in the Winter Newsletter.